I’m In Crazy Town - Need Answers Re: Social Services!

[CoachOnTheRoad]

Ok. I can not find this answer anywhere and I’ve been looking for over a year, asking fellow nomads, etc.
I am on Social Security Disabilty. There is a FEDERAL program that pays the monthly premium and drug costs... administered by the STATE you live in. (NOT supplemental insurance) I’m relocating from NY state where’s I’m enrolled, to another state to be determined, preferably AZ. The problem is I need a VALID address, and I’m now a full-time nomad. Williams Post Office refused to give my partner an address or P.O. box even though she owns property there. Please, social services solutions for nomads???  :huh:
Thx,
Mary Ellen

 

[John61CT]

You need a valid residential street address where you and your partner will "live" for legal government and financial purposes.

Called your legal domicile, used for taxes, jury duty, conscription, voting etc. Cannot be a mail forwarding "letterbox" service, that is separate and should only be given to your gov/legal/financial providers as a secondary "mailing address".

Most people get a trusted friend or family member to help with this. Alternative solutions are rare and maybe expensive (e.g. buying land).

If your partner's address can't get a USPS address perhaps you can ask the neighbors what they do.

When speaking to officials / bureaucrats, do **not** mention your nomadic lifestyle, their rules do not bend for us, we must create a simple narrative / explanation that fits the facts best as possible while still making us look (as much as possible) like normal mainstream S&B productive wage-slave citizens.

Once you have your DMV voter reg, library card, bank accounts etc all set up to match, work over time to change **all** your computer database entries to do so.

You will need to get back to your domicile state to deal with your benefit issues, doctor visits etc.

If you need ER care, you were just temporarily out of state.

And note some states like CA require you to change your domicile if they notice you've been there a while, I think most are 90 days, but most states don't enforce unless you get a job or enroll in school etc.

There are many dozens of long threads already here with further details and good suggestions.

https://www.google.com/search?q=site:www.cheaprvliving.com+mail+legal+residential

 

[DannyB1954]

I hear some homeless shelters will let one use their address as a residence. Not sure if this is the norm or just an exception I heard about.
Bob Wells has done videos about residency.

 

[John61CT]

Also campgrounds, showing a receipt pre-paying for a month.

Escapees' service has been said to work, combined with letterbox services.

But reverse-lookup databases will reveal the truth, so there are potential scenarios where none of these would be as good as someone's ordinary home.

And even if you are diligent about giving your mailing address, sometimes important mail may still show up at the legal residential one.

 

[CoachOnTheRoad]

Very helpful, yet still confusing. I did look at the google link and read the CheapRvLiving threads. I do have some other leads and when I get this figured out will post for sure.

So if as it’s been said, I’m to hide the fact I’m a nomad living in my van... what do I say? I’m disabled and not working. My original state is NY, I was told there I can’t be out if the state for more than six months or lose my benefits. I’m planning on staying out West, but my next trip back to NY isn’t for a year.

 

[jacks18614]

I live 35 miles from the NYS boarder in PA. I wish I had residency in NY because the social welfare and entitlements are much better than PA. To each his own but you will have a difficult time reestablishing NYS residency if you leave.

 

[closeanuf]

Did you try to get a Williams address in person or online or telephone?  does the property have any improvements like water or septic tank?
That could be the reason they won't give you mail service.  The local postmaster probably has people wanting to do this all the time and only has so many "boxes".  You didn't say whether you have physically been in Williams, but I think that might be something to consider.

 

[John61CT]

So if as it’s been said, I’m to hide the fact I’m a nomad living in my van... what do I say? I’m disabled and not working. My original state is NY, I was told there I can’t be out if the state for more than six months or lose my benefits. I’m planning on staying out West, but my next trip back to NY isn’t for a year.

Sounds to me like you need to really do a lot more research before you can finalize your travel plans.

The state where you are legally domiciled - sounds like that is currently NY - is the one that gives you your benefits, enforces your eligibility, where you have to be ready to return to on short notice if you need to get medical care, pick up meds from a pharmacy, deal with any bureaucracy, vote, serve jury duty, file taxes etc etc.

You don't want them to know you are travelling out of state except for maybe a short vacation, visiting relatives etc, have a story ready if you need to visit an ER etc.

This is not just for disabled, anyone getting benefits administered by their state or needing service from health insurance.

All this takes a lot of research, maybe even advice from an attorney familiar with your state's rules and enforcement procedures.

Moving your domicile state means starting over or transferring eligibility, they have different (mostly much lower) benefits and (mostly stricter) rules for eligibility, maybe waiting periods or not enough funding to process you this year etc.

So no one can just give your cover story for the various scenarios and different bureaucracies.

All I'm saying is it is up to you, for each procedure, to find out what that bureaucracy wants and to give it to them in a format that allows the system to stamp Approved and send you on your way.

They will not bend their Kafka crazy system's illogical rules to your unique human life, needs and logical expectations, and expecting any help from the paper pushers in that regard will just make your accomplishing your goals harder.

So part of that is learning enough so that you don't expect the impossible, if you really need what they are giving you, maybe what you are currently thinking about doing needs to change as you learn more you get more realistic.

 

[Wanderer]

I once spent 2 years in MO and had to "Address" my Address. This required a visit to their 911 center (I kid you not) as they had to designate the exact location AND I had to prove the legal status of my property. I did that by showing my buyer contract. I then put a shed on the property and was legally installed. No water or toilet. Didn't last (Obviously) but each state is curious. I'd call the town hall and ask what their requirements are for such.

BTW if you lived in town, you had to get a PO box they had NO local delivery. Only if you were 2 miles out of town or further (I was 10) then you got rural delivery.

 

[Deb_A]

I've learned that if you live in your vehicle, you are considered "homeless" for federal benefits, and for some state benefits (like food stamps). Being homeless does not bar you from receiving that type of help.

In my state, there is a question on the benefits application that asks if you have been out of the country in the past however-many months, but it doesn't ask if you've been out of state.

If you're talking about QMB Medicaid, that is a federal program administered by the states, so federal rules should apply there. Call the Arizona agency that handles that and ask them how you apply if you are homeless living in your vehicle. They may let you use a PO box as long as you have a way they can contact you (email, phone).